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Hey! I'm Jillian Bejtlich. I’m a lifelong New Englander with a serious love of the outdoors, adventure, and a pretty serious inability to sit still. I’m plagued by the travel bug, and it seems I’ll try any relatively sane and safe thing once. My big goal in life: Get people outside!

Holiday Gift Guide: Our Pups!

For some of us out there, our dogs are a whole lot more than just dogs. They’re furry sidekicks, trusted outdoor partners, fluffy couch warmers, and ever loyal and excited friends. So, when it comes to the holidays – we just have to spoil them.

My two furballs already have a lot of gear. Some of it we love and trust, and others… ugh. With all that first paw experience, the furballs and I are going to present our favorite gear and ideas to surprise your furry sidekick this holiday season.

Lupine

Yuri and Kina see most things in life as chew toys (including each other), so it’s no surprise that leashes, collars, and harnesses need to be seriously rugged. Fortunately for us, Lupine not only makes super rugged gear, but everything comes with a lifetime guarantee… even if chewed. Yuri has tested this guarantee an embarrassing amount of times and sure enough, a replacement product shows back up at our house every time.

Yuri and Kina would like to specifically recommend the following gift sets for your favorite canine.

Lupine Roman Harness: I’m not sure if Yuri and Kina like the Roman Harness because it makes them feel like a real sled dog, or if it’s just more comfortable than taking a walk on a normal collar. Either way, both furballs know that the harness means a serious walk or adventure, so go spazz out by the door and get your harness on. Yuri prefers the pattern “Dapper Dog” and Kina thinks she looks gorgeous in “Flower Box” (see picture).

Lupine Collarand Leash: It’s important at all times to be a presentable pup, even when rolling around in mud or scrambling on rock piles at Pack Monadnock. For that reason, Yuri and Kina favor their matching adjustable collars and leashes. The collars are designed with a super durable clasp and climbing grade webbing and hold up even when trying to pull their favorite human off her feet. That same climbing grade webbing makes an appearance again on the leash, but treats the human to a nicely padded handle… just so that rock scramble wipeout is a little less painful. 😉

Ruffwear

I recently mentioned that my holiday list for my dogs was about seven times longer than my own. Sure enough when I counted, it turned out I hadn’t exaggerated. Many of the items on my list were from Ruffwear, so of course they had to make this list!

Currently Yuri and Kina have three favorite items from Ruffwear: the Approach Pack, the Beacon, and the Track Jacket. They’re hoping by next summer to have a lot more favorites, but this human isn’t made of money… or dog treats. As for the items they do have and love, here’s what they want you to know.

The Approach Pack: This pack is big enough to carry everything two pups need including bottles of water, food, treats, mess bags, and leashes. Unlike other packs, this one is designed to stay in place and not rotate off to the side, so Yuri appreciates that. He isn’t into fanny packs and much prefers back packs, especially if he’s expected to keep up with Kina. Another perk? These bags are designed with bright colored durable materials that make running through the woods safer and more carefree.

The Beacon: If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for your canines, the Beacon is quite perfect. This little red LED light puts out a seriously powerful glow around your pup. We use it for night walks and I think our pups ending up being way more visible than us! The battery lasts a remarkably long time and it’s holding up well to snow, rain, mud, and tree run ins.

The Track Jacket: Yuri knows he looks like a wolf and loves to give folks a nice scary stare down when they’re confusing him, so making sure everyone knows he really is just a lovable husky is crucial. To keep him safe and super visible, we use a Ruffwear Track Jacket. With reflective materials and loops for the Beacon, it would be hard to miss a dog wearing this!

MTI Adventurewear

Even though our dogs look like snow loving pups, they actually love the summer too. Of all things out there from hiking to long wood walks, Yuri’s favorite summer activity is actually lounging around on the back of a boat. There is apparently nothing like the wind flying through your fur and the occasional splash of Lake Winnipesaukee water. Unfortunately for Yuri though, he hates swimming so we’re unsure what he’d do if he accidentally ended up in some deep water. To keep him safe, Yuri rocks a MTI underDOG at all times while on water.

Unlike some other dog lifejacket designs, this one takes into account how a dog moves both when active and exhausted from a long day of treading water. 90% of the flotation is under the chest and neck, so even the most worn out or water phobic pup will be comfortable and safe in this jacket.

Tagg

Last, but certainly not least, Yuri and Kina think all pups should have a Tagg pet tracker. See – back a few years ago, Yuri loved taking off on his own adventures. They were pretty exciting and usually involved visiting horses, peeing on mailboxes, or visiting other neighborhood dogs. Unfortunately, Yuri hadn’t mastered the concept of taking his humans with him for these adventures, so they were left behind to worry. Soon after, he started sporting a small rechargeable GPS tracker on his collar, and the humans were happy – kind of the way he was when he “found” pizza crust.

From the human perspective, the Tagg pet tracker is completely amazing and can be a lifesaving device. It fits comfortably and securely on a collar and can withstand moisture, mud, and play. To make it even better, you’re able to look up your dog’s location from a mobile app (Android and iPhone) or on your computer, so you’ll always be in the know.

Yuri has requested pizza crust and french fries, and Kina just wants ice cubes. Needy, eh? In all seriousness – we have a massive list of Ruffwear items we’d eventually like to get them. Everything from boots to toys! They’ll be happy with anything from their grandparents though. 🙂

About Jillian Bejtlich

Hey! I'm Jillian Bejtlich. I’m a lifelong New Englander with a serious love of the outdoors, adventure, and a pretty serious inability to sit still. I’m plagued by the travel bug, and it seems I’ll try any relatively sane and safe thing once. My big goal in life: Get people outside!